INTERNET ACCESS, COST AND THE INFORMATION GAP

Transcription

1 INTERNET ACCESS, COST AND THE INFORMATION GAP Simon Adetona Assistant Professor, Department of Teacher Education, University of Wisconsin- Parkside, USA Keywords: Internet access, information gap, Internet connection, digital divide, Internet contents, information rich, information poor, globalization, Internet host, m-commerce, free software movement, hackers, new economy, technology centers, industrialized countries, non-industrialized countries. Contents 1. Introduction 2. Hardware and Software: Primary Factors of the " Divide" 3. Gender and Unequal Access 4. Content-Related Aspects of the Information Gap 5. The Digital Divide: Structural Causes 6. Being Connected: Potential Benefits and Disadvantages 7. Bridging the Ravine 7.1. The Free Software Movement 7.2. Governments 7.3. International Organizations 7.4. Non-governmental Organizations Glossary Bibliography Biographical Sketch Summary Technological devices such as the telegraph, telephone, radio and television did not expand the democratic frontier, but rather reinforced pre-existing, unequal, social structures and provoked only marginal displacements within them. The Internet, a network of networks, often depicted as a revolution, has expanded dramatically and infiltrated numerous aspects of human activity -- research, education, commerce, music and film distribution, marketing, medicine, health, criminal justice, leisure, nutrition, surveillance, government -- especially in "digital countries" such as the Nordic countries -- Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark -- the United States of America (USA), Australia, Canada and, to a certain extent, Western Europe. Conversely, in most non-industrialized countries, as well as in pockets of digital countries, the Internet is situated in the margins. For a long time to come, large groups of will be poorly connected, or will not be connected at all to the Internet. A large majority of the world's six billion may not benefit from the advantages a connection can provide: fast, easy and relatively inexpensive access to information, knowledge, ideas, goods, services and. Consequently, they will continue to be unequal or third class partners in the process of globalization.

2 This section problematizes the inequitable condition of Internet access within and between selected countries of the world, explores the costs involved in being and staying connected, and also examines the structural factors, both local and global, which mitigate against a reversal in the current conditions of access. By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of being connected, it assesses the implications of current imbalances for the nature, quality and quantity of shared information and democracy. 1. Introduction The Internet which in its current structure emerged in the last decade of the twentieth century is likely to make enormous progress in unsuspected directions. It is gradually becoming the dominant medium for information exchange and communication within and between many countries. As computer prices fall, a growing number of, irrespective of age and economic status, may be able to afford a computer and an Internet connection. However, the field is not leveled. Various types of Internet connection produce different results. The fastest connections speed up transactions and handle large volumes of information transmitted in multiple formats -- graphics and individual sound files, animations, video, simulations, virtual reality, films, etc. Others provide limited and slow access to all the services the Internet offers: , file transfer protocol (FTP), telnet, newsgroups, message boards, mailing lists, chat rooms, instant messaging, portals, etc. In "digital countries", despite the wide use of the Internet, the "digital divide" between the rich, the poor and other intermediary classes has not disappeared. This divide often corresponds to and reinforces pre-existing ethnic, racial and class inequalities. Being connected may not be very difficult; however, staying connected over time, with all the additional costs -- maintenance, basic devices, availability of additional peripherals, upgrading, training -- is rather challenging and uncertain for the common person and the poor. In most non-industrialized countries, computer access is even more complicated, as hardware, software, and parts cost more -- sometimes twice as much as in industrialized countries -- for whose annual incomes could be a hundred times lower than those living in industrialized countries. Furthermore, in addition to the lack of technical expertise, in those countries have to grapple with the nature of Internet content e.g. relevance of website topics -- and complex issues of language and literacy. As American English has become the de facto language of the Internet, taking full advantage of cyberspace may require literacy in American English. The Internet is also primarily male, especially for programming and e-business. (See The Internet as a Mass Communications Medium.) Computer ownership does not represent the only factor of the "digital divide". The ability to maintain and upgrade one's hardware and software, in an industry that evolves at an exponential rate in multiple directions, constitutes another important factor. Furthermore, the quality, quantity and relevance of received information are also important aspects of the divide. All those factors are crucial in understanding who produces what information, how it is organized, how it is displayed, to whom it is destined, whose interests it serves, and why it is distributed. Such questions help us comprehend the full implications of the Internet,

3 its role in the process of globalization, and why the question of the digital divide has become a major preoccupation, especially for rich industrialized nations. At the G8 meeting in July 2000, rich countries placed a high priority on the issue and proposed financial solutions to help non-industrialized nations. Many governmental, non-profit and for-profit institutions have initiated various programs and projects at international and national levels to provide access to the largest number of. However, this effort is unfolding at a slower pace than technological innovation itself. This section also surveys such initiatives, examines their rationales, and assesses their impact in closing the divide. While their efforts are commendable, they hardly touch upon the fundamental causes of the persisting "information gap". 2. Hardware and Software: Primary Factors of the "Divide" Hardware and software are often used to gauge access, and are the cardinal causes of lack of access. In the case of hardware availability, the range and cost difference between minimum and satisfactory/optimum technical requirements -- modem speed, Random Access Memory (RAM), storage capacity, processing ability and speed -- could create a ravine in terms of technical quality of access. Low-end computers that can provide Internet access are no longer a luxury in industrialized nations, except for the poor. Besides, devices used only for the Internet are now available at low prices. However, to be fully connected at a reasonable speed, and to be able to load images, streaming videos or audio files, one needs a good medium- or high-range computer, which, with additional peripherals, turns out to be money-intensive. On the other hand, it is worth noting that the Internet can be accessed through public libraries, telecenters, community centers or cybercafés. Despite declining prices, funding, and acquisition initiatives aimed at providing computers to the poor, the "digital divide" has increased over the last ten years in the USA, along ethnic and racial lines. However, the most significant gaps exist along socio-economic lines. Iceland, the USA, Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark are some of the most wired countries in the world, with more than 35 percent of the population owning a computer in each country. On the contrary, less than 0.7 percent of the own computers in countries such as Ghana, Madagascar, India, Guatemala, Laos PDR, El Salvador and Jamaica. In the Republic of Benin, for example, the price of a computer bought locally amounts to at least 20 times the average annual salary. In November 2000, approximately million were online worldwide, 3.11 and million of whom were respectively in Africa and Latin America. Wireless communication, the next wave of the Internet, is the current trend in the Nordic countries, which are actually at the vanguard of m-computing and m-commerce (mobile electronic commerce). In those countries, the use of cellular phones to pay for car washes and drinks, or to book and pay for plane and train tickets, is more and more common. In many other industrialized countries such as Switzerland, Austria and the United Kingdom, Internet penetration is not as widespread as in Nordic countries, but is growing quickly. For instance, computer sales in France doubled from June 1999 to June Yet, only about 15.4 percent of French households had Internet access, whereas in Great Britain and Germany the figures were respectively 26.9 and 22.1 percent. In the Netherlands, in 1999, about 52 percent of the households owned

4 computers, while in Spain the figure was 18 percent. In India, out of a population of more than 1 billion, the penetration rate is at about 1.1 percent. The Indian case is paradoxical in that it produces a large number of software developers and computer engineers who easily find employment in Europe or the United States. However, India boasts only one percent of the global software market and a very low computer ownership ratio of 2.1 for 1,000. Recognizing global needs and local expertise, the Indian government has decided to double the number of computer scientists who graduate every year, to improve the quality of their training, and to expand the use of computers to rural areas. (See The Internet and Sustainable Development.) In China, which joined the World Trade Organization in June 2000, the number of Internet users is increasing, especially through cybercafés. Computer ownership triples every year, and its potential market of 1.3 billion is the target of big corporations. Hong Kong, which is now part of China, has a higher rate of computer ownership and Internet hosts. Since 1980, Chinese and Indian software engineers, initially trained in their home countries, have been responsible for creating one-third of Silicon Valley start-ups and one-fourth of all computer businesses in the United States. Japan, according to Infocom, a Japanese research company specializing in Internet and Telecommunications data, is likely to become the largest user of the Internet in 2001; mobile computing is developing at inconceivably accelerated rates and changing the way collect information, do business, learn and entertain themselves. In Africa, where there are only about 14 million phone lines, fewer than in Manhattan, New York, the number of connections is also rapidly increasing. However, it remains limited to the urban elite, wealthy individuals, and a few private, international or nongovernmental organizations. Governments are generally slow at connecting to the Net, let alone investing in research and development. South Africa alone has more than 90 percent of the Internet connections in Africa, most of which are in the White families and organizations which have benefited economically from decades of apartheid. Latin America and the Caribbean countries together have fewer Internet hosts than Finland. Countries Telephone Main lines Mobile Telephones Personal Computers Internet Hosts Per 10,000 (1999) Singapore United States , Switzerland Australia Norway Denmark Sweden Finland

6 As can be seen, the field is quite unequal in terms of computer ownership and Internet access. Other factors contribute to worsening the situation: inability to maintain computers and the quality of connection (broadband, TI connection, or modem connections). Non-industrialized countries are handicapped by other impediments that make full connection more of a dream than a reality. Antiquated machines, the lack of technical know-how and support to sustain such environments, the cost of new or old imported equipment, the complex questions of compatibility exacerbated by the fast evolution of the computer industry, and inadequate infrastructure are serious obstacles which necessitate immense organizational and financial efforts, and time to surmount. Enormous gaps also exist within countries. In the United States, for example, the common computer user is likely to be a college-educated, white male. About 47 percent of white households use computers, compared with 23 percent and 26 percent respectively of African American and Latino households. African Americans and Latinos have less access to the Internet from any location (home, library, workplace or school) than Whites do from their homes. Outside their homes, African Americans are more likely to use a public library to log onto the Net. The situation is worse for Native Americans on the reservations. Among the Navajos, only 22 percent have phone lines and many lack basic electricity. Such gaps correspond to the larger social and economic inequalities already existing within the society. In other words, Internet usage is directly correlated to class as suggested by this statistic: 80 percent of African American, Latino, and White households earning over $75,000 own at least one computer. Therefore, the lack of access is primarily a poverty factor. As computer prices are slashed, the gap in hardware ownership is likely to narrow. For instance, in the US in the year 2000, there has been a 68 percent increase in computer ownership in Latino households from However, because of persisting differences in types of connection, the ability to remain connected, and the relevance and use of information, the information and communication gap is likely to increase. Besides, a "fluency gap" will appear between those who can effectively learn with their machines and those who will spend their time playing games and shopping. In conclusion, the economic factor is the single most important factor in exacerbating or reducing the gap, and it is primarily a structural phenomenon resulting from deep social inequalities TO ACCESS ALL THE 20 PAGES OF THIS CHAPTER, Visit: Bibliography Africultures. L'internet en Afrique/Internet in Africa (December 1999, No. 23). (Online) Available at [This is a collection of articles about the Internet in selected African countries, mostly francophone Africa. There are also articles discussing issues related to the introduction of the Internet in Africa in general.] (June 26, 2000)

7 American Association of University Women Educational Foundation (September 1998). Gender Gaps: Where schools still fail our children. (Online) Executive summary available at (June 23, 2000) American Association of University Women Educational Foundation (2000). Tech-savvy girls in the new computer age. (Online) Executive summary available at techsavvy.html. (July 29, 2000) Bettig, R. and Schiller, H. (Eds.). Copyrighting Culture: The Political Economy of Intellectual Property. Boulder, CO.: Westview Press. [By taking a close look at the implications of new intellectual property laws for info-poor and countries, Bettig and Schiller reveal how they primarily serve the interests of the wealthy. The book also offers an interesting historical account of property laws in the United States of America.] Children's Partnership (2000). "Online Content for Low-Income and Underserved Americans: The Digital Divide's New Frontier" A Strategic Audit of Activities and Opportunities. ([Online). Available at [This report scrutinizes the relevance of Internet content for lowincome, functional illiterates and non-english speakers.] (June 3, 2000) Computer Industry Almanac. Statistics about computers and Internet available online at (May 22, 2001) [Very informative statistics about computers and computer use across the world, with estimates for the coming years]. Crawford, R. (1996). Computer-assisted crises. In Gerbner, G., Mowlana, H. and Schiller, H. (eds.). What conglomerate control of media means for America and the world (pp ). Boulder, Co: Westview Press. [This article examines how the media-industrial complex is leading the world into a "digital panoptic enclosure" through computers. It also explores areas like education, banking, games and the gaps between the info-rich and the info-poor.] Infoplease. Statistics about computers and Internet available online at ipa/a html (May 19, 2000) [Informative statistics about computers and computer use across the world.] Kramarae, C. (1998). Feminist Fictions of Future Technology. In Jones, S. (Ed.). Cybersociety 2.0: Revisiting computer-mediated communication and community (pp ). [This chapter, grounded in literature, deals with women in cybersociety and how new technologies will not necessarily improve the lot of living in a male-dominated world. It also looks at the dominance of English on the Web and its impact on not living in the North.] Le Monde Diplomatique (1999). Revolution dans la communication. Manière de Voir 46. July-August [This journal offers in a volume different social, economic and political critiques of the Internet and new media technology in general by renowned French scholars and journalists. It is an excellent and deep introduction to those interested in the socio-cultural aspects of new technologies.] New York Times Technology Section [Online}. Available at day/tech/. [This is a very informative site for everyday news about technology. Archives are available, and the best keyword for information gap is "digital divide".] Nua Internet survey. Statistics about the Internet in the U.S. and the world. (Online) Available online at (May 19, 2000) [This site provides survey results in many areas of Internet use from advertising to travel.] Schiller, H. (1996). Information deprivation in an information-rich society. In Gerbner, G., Mowlana, H. and Schiller, H. (eds.). What conglomerate control of media means for America and the world (pp ). Boulder, Co: Westview Press. United Nations Development Program (UNDP Statistics). Access to information and Communications. (Online) Available at (July 11, 2000)

8 Winston, B. (1998). Media technology and society. A History: From the telegraph to the Internet. London, New York: Routledge. [This book provides a critical appraisal of the evolution of media technologies, their promises and failures.] World Bank Group (2000). Entering the 21 st century: World Development Report. Communication, Information, and Science and Technology Report. (Online) Available at wdr/2000/fullreport.html (June 18, 2000) [This is an authoritative source of statistics which gives a clear depiction of the information, science and technology gaps between high income, middle income and low income countries across the world.] Biographical Sketch Dr. Simon Adetona is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology in the Teacher Education Department at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. He previously taught Instructional Technology in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Cleveland State University, and Comparative Cultures and Education at Ohio University where he earned his Ph.D. in Education (Instructional Technology). With a background in Language, Literature, Political Science and International Affairs, he is primarily interested in the cultural studies of science and technology, in the impact of technology on education, and in popular culture as an educational site. Part of his philosophy of education is that classroom culture and dynamics, as well as the curriculum, are closely connected to the power structures that regulate society. Therefore, the act of educating is more of a social, civic and political act than a classroom act. Dr. has also taught English, French and Spanish in Benin and Côte d'ivoire, West Africa. He has published three educational books, as well as numerous articles on computers in education and society, politics and culture.

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